something came up.
He chuckled. “I knew there was a man behind this metamorphosis.”
She raised her chin and met his smug gaze. She couldn’t help but compare him to Erik. Erik took time to look beneath the surface before judging her. Roger was as shallow as a wading pool. “I can’t get a haircut without having an ulterior motive?”
He ran a sweeping gaze over her. “I didn’t think you owned anything besides wool pants and cardigan sweaters.”
Coming from a man whose entire wardrobe consisted of tweed jackets with suede patches and brown corduroy slacks, she found his comment laughable. “I’ve got to get back.”
“What’s the hurry?”
She broke out in a smile. “I’m expecting the water company today.”
* * * *
Daniels punched Erik on the shoulders and let out a hearty chuckle. “We better get back. The woman is waiting to have her pipes checked out.”
“Don’t be a pig,” Erik grumbled. His partner’s jibes didn’t bother him. That patronizing ass Victoria just met with pissed him off big time. The woman had a Ph.D. in physics, and the man treated her like a witless child. Thankfully, she didn’t let the jerk get away with it.
“Want a doughnut?” Daniels held out a rumpled bag.
Erik declined with a grunt and took a swig of black coffee. In his gut, he knew Becker wouldn’t show today. If he wanted something from Victoria, he would just appear and collect his disc, not call for a meeting to announce his whereabouts.
If …. The more time that passed, the more doubts Erik had about the case. “Once she’s back home, I need to take care of something.”
“I don’t want to know, do I?”
“No.”
They followed Victoria to the house, staying several blocks behind her compact car. Although the snow had melted into the blacktop, she kept her speed to an even twenty-five miles an hour. Daniels, unused to slow speeds, rode the brakes continuously. The trip ended up feeling like a ride on a wild bronco. Now Erik remembered why he preferred to drive.
He transferred the receiver back to the van while Daniels parked the car two blocks over. Erik watched Victoria disappear behind the back of the house. She carried herself with the grace and poise of a fashion model. Brains, beauty and a pair of mesmerizing eyes that could tempt a saint onto the road to sin. And, God knew, he was no saint.
The combination of guilt and desire left his body tense all over. He needed to get away for a while. Once his partner returned, he grabbed a file from the back of the van and tucked it under his arm. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
Daniels raised a halting hand in the air and then adjusted the headphones more tightly over his ears. “Wait a second, Sanders. I think we have a problem.”
* * * *
Victoria tossed her purse onto the kitchen counter on the way to the living room. Once she cleared the archway, she stumbled over a pile of books. Catching the arm of the wing chair, she managed to remain upright, but the sight before her nearly caused her to slump to the floor.
Her gasp broke the eerie silence. She’d been robbed. The thought played in her mind with chilling clarity, but she couldn’t move or even think what she should do. For one terrifying second her heart seemed to stop, and then her pulse began to race.
“I have to call the police,” she mumbled, trying to collect her thoughts.
Footsteps thumped behind her. A gloved hand clapped across her mouth before she could scream. She twisted to free herself from the iron grip.
“Where’s the disc?”
Her body went numb. Disc. Disc? The word echoed in her spinning thoughts. Hot breath scorched her neck. The uncomfortable pressure of thick fingers against her ribs underscored the angry voice. He lifted her off the ground and shook her like a rag doll. She struggled for breath.
“Becker wasn’t amused by your little extortion attempt, lady.”
Try though she did, she couldn’t compose a coherent thought.
He chuckled. “I knew there was a man behind this metamorphosis.”
She raised her chin and met his smug gaze. She couldn’t help but compare him to Erik. Erik took time to look beneath the surface before judging her. Roger was as shallow as a wading pool. “I can’t get a haircut without having an ulterior motive?”
He ran a sweeping gaze over her. “I didn’t think you owned anything besides wool pants and cardigan sweaters.”
Coming from a man whose entire wardrobe consisted of tweed jackets with suede patches and brown corduroy slacks, she found his comment laughable. “I’ve got to get back.”
“What’s the hurry?”
She broke out in a smile. “I’m expecting the water company today.”
* * * *
Daniels punched Erik on the shoulders and let out a hearty chuckle. “We better get back. The woman is waiting to have her pipes checked out.”
“Don’t be a pig,” Erik grumbled. His partner’s jibes didn’t bother him. That patronizing ass Victoria just met with pissed him off big time. The woman had a Ph.D. in physics, and the man treated her like a witless child. Thankfully, she didn’t let the jerk get away with it.
“Want a doughnut?” Daniels held out a rumpled bag.
Erik declined with a grunt and took a swig of black coffee. In his gut, he knew Becker wouldn’t show today. If he wanted something from Victoria, he would just appear and collect his disc, not call for a meeting to announce his whereabouts.
If …. The more time that passed, the more doubts Erik had about the case. “Once she’s back home, I need to take care of something.”
“I don’t want to know, do I?”
“No.”
They followed Victoria to the house, staying several blocks behind her compact car. Although the snow had melted into the blacktop, she kept her speed to an even twenty-five miles an hour. Daniels, unused to slow speeds, rode the brakes continuously. The trip ended up feeling like a ride on a wild bronco. Now Erik remembered why he preferred to drive.
He transferred the receiver back to the van while Daniels parked the car two blocks over. Erik watched Victoria disappear behind the back of the house. She carried herself with the grace and poise of a fashion model. Brains, beauty and a pair of mesmerizing eyes that could tempt a saint onto the road to sin. And, God knew, he was no saint.
The combination of guilt and desire left his body tense all over. He needed to get away for a while. Once his partner returned, he grabbed a file from the back of the van and tucked it under his arm. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
Daniels raised a halting hand in the air and then adjusted the headphones more tightly over his ears. “Wait a second, Sanders. I think we have a problem.”
* * * *
Victoria tossed her purse onto the kitchen counter on the way to the living room. Once she cleared the archway, she stumbled over a pile of books. Catching the arm of the wing chair, she managed to remain upright, but the sight before her nearly caused her to slump to the floor.
Her gasp broke the eerie silence. She’d been robbed. The thought played in her mind with chilling clarity, but she couldn’t move or even think what she should do. For one terrifying second her heart seemed to stop, and then her pulse began to race.
“I have to call the police,” she mumbled, trying to collect her thoughts.
Footsteps thumped behind her. A gloved hand clapped across her mouth before she could scream. She twisted to free herself from the iron grip.
“Where’s the disc?”
Her body went numb. Disc. Disc? The word echoed in her spinning thoughts. Hot breath scorched her neck. The uncomfortable pressure of thick fingers against her ribs underscored the angry voice. He lifted her off the ground and shook her like a rag doll. She struggled for breath.
“Becker wasn’t amused by your little extortion attempt, lady.”
Try though she did, she couldn’t compose a coherent thought.
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